Basic Flaky Pie Crust Food

FLAKY PIE CRUST

Steps:

• Blend flour, sugar and salt in processor.
• Add shortening and butter and cut in using on/off turns until mixture resembles coarse meal.
• Transfer mixture to bowl.
• Mix 6 tablespoons ice water and vinegar in small bowl; pour over flour mixture.
• Stir with fork until moist clumps form, adding more ice water by teaspoonfuls if dough is dry.
• Gather dough into 2 balls; flatten each into disk.
• Wrap each in plastic and chill 30 minutes.
• (Can be prepared ahead and refrigerated up to 2 days or frozen up to 1 month. If frozen, thaw overnight in refrigerator. Soften slightly at room temperature before using).
• Zelly Bell I'd say you have a way more modern oven than I do, thank goodness, and you should "tailor" this recipe to what what works for you and your oven, as I imagine most ovens are newer than mine, which I'm just used to mine now, and can even bake good cookies from scratch with it now. This recipe is simply a good easy pie crust easy enough for a beginner in even a not user-friendly oven.
• Please Do NOT be intimidated at making your own pie crust, it's not that much work and way worth it. It's more enjoyable when they compliment you to say, "I made it from scratch". Bottom line it's worth trying. If I can make a good pie crust you can too.

BASIC FLAKY PIE CRUST

Steps:

• Divide the butter into two parts, about two thirds to one third.
• Cut the butter into small cubes, about 1/2 inch.
• Cover butter with plastic wrap.
• Refrigerate the larger amount and freeze the smaller for a minimum of 30 minutes.
• Place the flour, salt, and baking powder in a reclosable gallon-size freezer bag and freeze for a minimum of 30 minutes.
• Place the flour mixture in a food processor with the metal blade and process for a few seconds to combine.
• Set the bag aside.
• Add the larger amount of butter cubes to the flour and process for about 20 seconds or until the mixture resembles coarse meal.
• Add the remaining frozen butter cubes and pulse until all of the frozen butter is the size of peas.
• Add the lowest amount of the ice water and the vinegar and pulse 6 times.
• Pinch a small amount of the mixture together between your fingers.
• If it does not hold together, add half the remaining water and pulse 3 times.
• Try pinching the mixture again.
• If necessary, add the remaining water, pulsing 3 times to incorporate it.
• The mixture will be in particles and will not hold together without being pinched.
• Dump the mixture back into the bag and work it from the outside of the bag gently until it comes together into a ball.
• Refrigerate if the butter starts to melt (the heat from your hands will melt the butter) Wrap dough ball with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour before rolling (preferably overnight).
• Don't skip this step, the gluten must relax for proper rolling!
• You can refrigerate the dough up to 2 days, freeze up to 3 months (thaw in the refrigerator overnight).
• Allow the dough to sit at room temperature for 10 minutes then roll the dough to about 1/8" thickness on a cool, lightly floured surface.
• Work the dough from the center out, turning over occasionally.
• Add the minimum amount of flour as too much will produce a tough dough.
• Once again if the dough gets too warm allow it to rest in the fridge till cool.
• Fold the rolled out crust in quarters and gently place into pan, unfold and tuck gently into pan, trim excess (leave about 1 inch overhang to form edge).

BASIC FLAKY PIE CRUST

Steps:

• Whisk the flour and salt together in a medium size bowl. With a pastry blender, cut in the cold shortening until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Drizzle 2 to 3 tablespoons ice water over flour. Toss mixture with a fork to moisten, adding more water a few drops at a time until the dough comes together.
• Gently gather dough particles together into a ball. Wrap in plastic wrap, and chill for at least 30 minutes before rolling.
• Roll out dough, and put in a pie plate. Fill with desired filling and bake.

PERFECTLY FLAKY PIE CRUST

Steps:

• In a large bowl, mix together flour, salt, and sugar until well combined. Using clean hands, add butter and toss until just coated. Rub butter between thumb and forefingers to incorporate into flour mixture until butter is in lima bean-sized pieces and comes together in quarter-sized clumps when squeezed in palm, about 2 minutes. Add shortening, toss until just coated in flour, then rub into flour mixture until mixture forms pea-size pieces (some big chunks should remain) and comes together in fist-sized clumps when squeezed, about 1 minute. Drizzle in half ice water and rake through mixture with fingers until just moistened. Drizzle in remaining water 1 tablespoon at a time and comb through mixture with fingers to moisten. It will go from being a shaggy mess to coming together. Dough is moist enough when it is moistened through but is not wet when pressed. (Do not overwork the dough or it will become tough.)
• While rotating the bowl with 1 hand, push dough between other palm and side of bowl to gather into a ball. Turn dough onto a piece of plastic wrap, press it into a flat disk, then close in wrap. Place in coldest part of refrigerator (usually back bottom shelf) at least 30 minutes before rolling out and forming into a crust.

BUTTER FLAKY PIE CRUST

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine flour and salt. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in water, a tablespoon at a time, until mixture forms a ball. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight.
• Roll dough out to fit a 9 inch pie plate. Place crust in pie plate. Press the dough evenly into the bottom and sides of the pie plate.

EASY FLAKY PIE CRUST

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, combine flour and salt. For a flakier crust add the sugar to the flour and salt mixture. Using a pastry blender or a fork, cut the chilled shortening into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs. For a flakier crust add the vinegar to the chilled water. Sprinkle the flour mixture with the water a tablespoon at a time, while tossing and mixing lightly with a fork. Continue adding water until the dough is just moist enough to form a ball when lightly pressed together. Note: if you use too little water the pastry will tend to tear or crack, if you add too much water the dough will become tough.
• Place the dough into an air-tight bag, container or saran wrap and refrigerate for several hours or overnight. (Can be kept refrigerated for several days or frozen for up to 3 months.).
• If the dough was frozen allow it to thaw until it is just chilled and can be worked. If the dough was refrigerated allow it to set for 10 to 15 minutes until it is warm enough to work. Shape the dough into a ball. Flatten the ball to 1/2 inch thickness, rounding and smoothing the edges. On a floured surface, roll the dough out lightly from center to the edge into an 11-inch circle. Fold the pastry in half then place it in an 8 or 9 inch pie pan. Unfold the crust and gently press in the bottom and up the sides of the pan. Do not stretch.
• Fold edge under to form a standing rim and flute edges. If you are not baking the pastry then you are done.
• Gently prick the bottom and sides with a fork repeatedly to prevent air pockets.
• Just before placing the pastry in the oven, line it with a piece of parchment paper or aluminum foil and fill it with dried beans or uncooked rice.
• Place the pastry in the oven and set the temperature to 300 degrees, allowing the pastry to warm up - then remove the pastry until the oven finishes preheating (this helps to prevent shrinkage).
• Bake at 300 degrees for 15 minutes for partially baked pastry and 25 minutes for a fully baked pastry.
• Note: Make sure that both your filling and the pie crust are at room temperature before filling or the crust will lose its crunch.

BASIC FLAKY PIE CRUST

Steps:

• Divide the butter into two parts, about two thirds to one third:
• For #1 2.5 ounces and 1.5 ounces (5 tablespoons and 3 tablespoons)
• For #2 3 ounces and 1.5 ounces (6 tablespoons and 3 tablespoons)
• For #3 4.5 ounces and 2.5 ounces (9 tablespoons and 5 tablespoons)
• Cut the butter into 3/4-inch cubes. Wrap each portion of butter with plastic wrap, refrigerate the larger amount and freeze the smaller for at least 30 minutes. Place the flour, salt, and baking powder in a reclosable gallon-size freezer bag and freeze for at least 30 minutes.
• Food processor method:
• Place the flour mixture in a food processor with the metal blade and process for a few seconds to combine. Set the bag aside.
• Add the larger amount of butter cubes to the flour and process for about 20 seconds or until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add the remaining frozen butter cubes and pulse until all of the frozen butter is the size of peas. (Toss with a fork to see it better.)
• Add the lowest amount of the ice water and the vinegar and pulse 6 times. Pinch a small amount of the mixture together between your fingers. If it does not hold together, add half the remaining water and pulse 3 times. Try pinching the mixture again. If necessary, add the remaining water, pulsing 3 times to incorporate it. The mixture will be in particles and will not hold together without being pinched.
• For tiny 1-inch tartlets, omit the baking powder and allow the processing to continue just until a ball forms. The additional mixing produces a dough that is slightly less flaky but ensures that it will not puff out of shape in the tiny molds.
• Spoon the mixture into the plastic bag. (For a double-crust pie, it is easiest to divide the mixture in half at this point.)
• Holding both ends of the bag opening with you fingers, knead the mixture by alternately pressing it, from the outside of the bag, with the knuckles and heels of your hands until the mixture holds together in one piece and feels slightly stretchy when pulled.
• Wrap the dough with plastic wrap, flatten it into a disc (or discs) and refrigerate for at least 45 minutes, preferably overnight. (For a pie shell and lattice, divide it in a ratio of two thirds:one third - use about 9.5 ounces for the shell and the rest for the lattice, flattening the smaller part into a rectangle.)
• Hand method:
• Place a medium mixing bowl in the freezer to chill.
• Place the flour, salt, and optional baking powder in another medium bowl and whisk to combine them. Use a pastry cutter or rub the mixture between your fingers to blend the larger portion of the butter into the flour until it resembles coarse meal.
• Spoon the mixture, together with the cold butter, into a reclosable gallon-size freezer bag. Expel any air from the bag and close it. Use a rolling pin to flatten the butter into flakes. Place the bag in the freezer for at least 10 minutes or until the butter is very firm.
• Transfer the mixture to the chilled bowl, scraping the sides of the bag. Set the bag aside. Sprinkle the ice water and vinegar onto the mixture, tossing it lightly with a rubber spatula. Spoon the loose mixture back into the plastic bag. (For a double-crust pie, it is easiest to divide the mixture in half at this point.)
• Holding both ends of the bag opening with your fingers, knead the mixture by alternately pressing it, from the outside of the bag, with knuckles and heels of your hands until the mixture holds together in one piece and feels slightly stretchy when pulled.
• Wrap the dough with plastic wrap, flatten it into a disc (or discs) and refrigerate for at least 45 minutes, preferably overnight. (For a pie shell and lattice, divide it in a ratio of two thirds:one third - use about 9.5 ounces for the shell and the rest for the lattice, flattening the smaller part into a rectangle.)
• Store:
• Refrigerated, up to 2 days; frozen, up to 3 months.
• Understanding:
• Pastry flour offers the most tenderness while maintaining flakiness, but it is the addition of vinegar that relaxes the dough without losing flakiness, making it easier to roll, shrink less, and be even more tender. The baking powder lifts and aerates the dough slightly without weakening it, but it makes it seem more tender.
• Thes secret to success is finely incorporating about two thirds of the butter into the flour, which keeps the flour from absorbing too much water and forming gluten, which would make the crust tough. The remaining one third of the butter is incorporated in larger pieces, which serve to seperate the layers, resulting in the desired flakiness. This pie crust does not shrink or distort as much as the standard all-butter crust because there is less gluten development.
• If when adding the water, you find you need more than indicated in the recipe, chances are you haven't moisture-proofed the flour adequately (you haven't used the correct amount of butter or processed it fine enough), leaving the flour free to absorb more liquid. The resulting crust will be flakier but less tender.
• If you find you need less water than specified in the recipe, chances are you divided the butter incorrectly and used too much of it to moisture-proof the flour, preventing it from absorbing an adequate amount of water. The resulting crust will be more tender but not very flaky.
• Flattening the newly formed dough into a disc or discs before refrigerating makes it easier to roll without cracking. The dough is refrigerated to relax the gluten, making it less elastic and easier to roll. Chilling also firms the butter, preventing sticking and the need for extra flour when rolling, which would toughen it. Dough that has rested overnight before baking shrinks less.

FLAKY FOOD PROCESSOR PIE CRUST

Steps:

• Measure the flour into the processor with the regular blade attached. Add the unsalted butter, cut into cubes, and shortening, cut into cubes. (Your fat should be frozen or very cold. You may vary the proportions, or use some lard, but the total should be 9 tablespoons.) Add salt. Pulse three times with three counts per pulse to lightly mix the ingredients.
• With the motor running, pour ice water into the workbowl just until the dough just starts to get noticeably crumbly. Don't wait until it is a big clump or it will be way too wet and will turn out tough.
• Stop the machine, dump the crumbly dough into a bowl, and gather the dough into a ball with your hand. you can squeeze it a bit to make it stick together. If it just won't form a ball, add a tiny bit more water. (Note that if you are making crust in the food processor, you will use less water than most recipes call for.)
• Wrap your dough ball in wax paper or plastic wrap and chill it about 30 minutes in the refrigerator. Roll it out on a cool surface if you can. Then follow your pie recipe for baking.

FLAKY PIE CRUST

Steps:

• Mix flour and salt in bowl.
• Cut in 1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoons shortening.
• Add water until everything sticks together.
• Roll out on floured board.

BASIC PIE CRUST I

Steps:

• Process the flour and salt in a food processor for 20 seconds.
• Distribute the butter evenly over the flour and process until the mixture resembles coarse meal, 15-20 seconds.
• With the food processor running, pour the ice water in a steady stream through the feed tube and process just until the dough comes together.
• Knead the dough for several turns on a lightly floured surface to bring it together.
• Shape the dough into a thick disks (or 2 for a double crust), wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least an hour.
• To roll out the dough, place the chilled dough between 2 pieces of waxed paper (helps tremendously in rolling out!) and roll it out to a circle 2 inches bigger than the size of the pie pan.
• Fit the dough into a 9-inch (greased) pie plate and trim the edges.
• Keep the crust in the refrigerator until ready to fill.
• If prebaking the crust, refrigerate it for at least 30 minutes or stick in the freezer before baking (I always freeze it).